Warhammer Fantasy: I Have Total War System

Gu Fangyuan casually waved his hand, and the moment the jade fan unfolded, the starlight flowing on the fan surface poured out like a flood bursting its banks.

The sky suddenly darkened.

The starlight gathered above the camp to form an illusory star map, on which the stone fortress, the slope, the narrow pass, and the distant sand dunes were all clearly visible.

Although the level of detail and the scope are far less than those of the system map, it is still intuitive enough.

Li Lin had a vague feeling that the star map used by Fang Sicheng seemed to be an early, original version of the system map.

"This is Commander Li's troops at the start of the battle."

The star map zoomed in on a small grove of trees, where eight neatly arranged small squares appeared – the box formation that Li Lin had created.

His iconic compass cart was placed in the center of the formation.

Then, a small group of saber-toothed tigers, blood vultures, and cavalrymen of the Zombietooth Beasts arrived.

The crowd below gasped, because this attack involved a full six units of Zombie Fang Beast cavalry!

Apart from Jin Tian, ​​the commander of the vanguard, no one present dared to say that their troops could withstand the flank attack of six Zangya Beast units at once!

But Li Lin did it.

The star map's overhead view couldn't fully capture the battle, but Li Lin's box formation only suffered minor losses. Immediately afterward, his troops displayed astonishing resilience, quickly annihilating the ogre cavalry trapped deep within the infantry lines.

At this time, the infantry battalion of the rearguard army group had completely collapsed. Li Lin retreated immediately, and along the way gathered seventy or eighty remaining artillery battalion members to guard the narrow pass.

The ogre's mobile forces surged toward his small square formation like a tidal wave. Even though the square formation was highly resilient, it was still broken into small, localized battle zones in the fierce carnage.

Even through the star map, everyone could feel the resolute determination of Li Lin's troops, who disregarded life and death.

Li Lin himself, in order to prevent the behemoth from destroying the infantry line, single-handedly intercepted the behemoth, risking his life.

On the star map, his nearly 1,000 troops looked like an ant colony being repeatedly washed away by raging waves. When the battle ended, only a thin line remained.

Almost the entire army was wiped out, but they managed to hold this last line of defense!

What is most infuriating is that, right next to Li Lin's precarious box formation, less than a hundred meters away, at least seven thousand troops were crowding together, trying to rush back to the fortress, without showing any intention of supporting Li Lin.

The victory of the rear guard army group was well-deserved and belonged only to Li Lin and his soldiers!

The star map slowly faded away, and sunlight shone down again.

Fang Yuan closed the jade fan, bowed slightly in Li Lin's direction, and said in a gentle and sincere tone: "Chief Steward Li's achievements are recorded in the star chart without the slightest error. He was able to win with fewer troops and establish such a feat. Looking at the entire Zhen Dan, there are very few who can compare with him."

No one in the audience dared to question it anymore.

Lu Pingchuan knelt on the ground, seemingly having exhausted even the last bit of strength to struggle.

The same applies to other officers who were stripped of their ranks.

There were no sophisticated formations, no fancy tactics, and even the quality of the troops was ridiculously poor.

It was just a group of peasant soldiers forming a square, plus a squad of crossbowmen and a few fire-breathing copper pipes. Incredibly, they managed to withstand the entire onslaught of the ogres and even win.

Wouldn't it be the same if they were the ones who went up there and won?

How can that make him the commander-in-chief?

On what grounds?

The young man surnamed Hou was the son of the renowned Tianmen Guard Commandant, who had grown up in the military camp since childhood. He was accompanied by the elite Jingsai Army and Guiyin Army, whose reputations were renowned. No one present found it strange that he could defeat the strong with the weak and slay the stone horn beast.

But who is Li Lin? He is the useless son of the Southern Li Military Commissioner, who is ridden on by the Dragonborn. He has been a background figure in every situation since childhood, and even the Six Young Masters of the Southern Dipper Sect look down on him. How could such a person achieve such an exaggerated epic victory?

While these people were consumed by jealousy, the officers who truly had meritorious service, those who had just been awarded the ranks of squad leader, brigade commander, or even lieutenant commander, were thinking about something else entirely.

They mentally dissected every single one of Li Lin's plans in the star map.

They tried to learn his methods for dealing with cannibals.

Li Lin's strategy wasn't some profound military tactic; they could learn it.

The opportunity to earn merit in battle under the witness of nine Heavenly Generals and the Military Commissioner is truly a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

This achievement, if placed in any of the imperial courts across the land, would be a tremendous source of prestige, enough to defy fate and rise from a commoner to the ranks of kings, nobles, and generals!

"Thank you for speaking up for justice, Magistrate Fang." Li Lin nodded in gratitude.

He knew that he was ultimately saved by some cannibal with an unknown purpose. The star map deliberately erased this part. This Fang Sicheng seemed to be different from that beast with the surname "Gu Yue". He was someone he could befriend.

Moreover, the surname "Fang" seems to be very famous in the northern provinces, but Li Lin couldn't recall it for the time being.

"Steward Li, you're too kind." Fang Yuan unfolded his jade fan and gently shook it. "I was merely presenting what I saw and heard as it was. It is my honor to have witnessed such a magnificent feat."

As the last name of the sentenced officer was read out, Commander Yu stood up.

"The military meeting is now adjourned. All battalion commanders shall immediately return to their posts, assess the battle losses, reorganize their units, and the entire army shall set off in five hours. There is no time to lose."

"Steward Li, Steward Xinqi, please follow me."

Yunmosige continued to carry Li Lin's sedan chair. Before leaving, Li Lin glanced at the receding crowd.

The officers who had been stripped of their ranks stood there in disarray, and no one wanted to have any further contact with them.

Their eyes were filled with resentment and malice.

"Damn it, who should hate whom? Just wait, I'll kill you all!"

Suddenly, a system notification appeared before his eyes:

[Complete Side Quest 1: Survive the Ogre Alliance Attack]

[Complete Side Quest 3: Defeat the forces of Tyrant "Thar Backs of the Head", "Mabo Beer Swallower", and Slaughter Master "Trag Giant Legs"]

The "Courtesy System" has been unlocked, and you can recruit "Jade Lions," "Ink Lions," and "Common Terracotta Warriors" as troops.

What is that?

Recruiting jade lions, ink lions, and supermodel behemoth terracotta figurines?

Where do you recruit from?

Is it the same as giving away money and equipment, just waiting for Grandpa Dragon Emperor to airdrop them directly to the Dragon Palace for me?

Side Quest 4 abolished

[New Side Quest 1: Defeat the Skyship Fleet led by General Haotian "Gusu" and Military Commissioner "Qin Fansi"] [Rewards: 2000 experience points for the entire army, 3000 distributable experience points, 3000 taels of gold, 28 Ministerial Points]

Side Quest 2: Return to Nanli. Rewards: 5000 distributable experience points, 20000 taels of gold, and three legendary equipment pieces.

[New Side Quest 3: Recruit a second deputy lord, recommended candidate is "Yang Dragonborn: Wu Tamei"] [Reward: 500 distributable experience points, 1000 taels of gold]